Washington/New Delhi: President Donald Trump said today he is working to arrange a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to explore a possible pathway to end the war, following a day of talks at the White House with Zelensky and a group of European leaders.
Trump said he spoke with Putin by phone during the discussions, days after meeting the Russian leader at a summit in Alaska.
The White House meetings focused on potential long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, a step Trump and European leaders said was essential to ending the conflict. Trump described the talks as “very good” and suggested they had created momentum toward a possible Zelensky-Putin summit, which would be the first meeting between the two leaders since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
“I think there’s a reasonable chance of ending the war if we get to that meeting,” Trump said. He added that any deal must be designed to last, not just pause the fighting.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that “everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” underscoring his pledge to quickly broker an end to the war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration is working to arrange an “unprecedented” meeting between Zelensky and Putin, calling it a significant step toward ending the war. Speaking on Fox News, Rubio said the effort could eventually lead to a trilateral meeting with Trump. “We’re not there yet, but that’s what we’re aiming toward, and that’s one of the things discussed today — how to get to that point,” he said. “Just the fact that Putin is saying, ‘Sure, I’ll meet with Zelensky,’ that’s a big deal. I’m not saying they’re going to leave that room best friends or with a peace deal, but the fact that they are talking at all — this wasn’t happening for three and a half years.”
The push for talks followed a high-stakes round of meetings at the White House, where Trump, Zelensky and European leaders gathered after Trump’s summit in Alaska with Putin. Trump spoke with Putin by phone in the Oval Office before resuming discussions with Zelensky and European counterparts.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the most important outcome of the talks was Washington’s readiness to develop concrete security guarantees for Ukraine, marking what he called a decisive shift. “Today, it was agreed that we will work with the United States of America on the content of these security guarantees and the cooperation that each party is prepared to provide,” Macron said, adding that the European leaders’ “Coalition of the Willing” has now expanded to 30 countries. He stressed that any talks between Zelensky and Putin must begin bilaterally and only take place under a ceasefire. While he welcomed Trump’s belief in his ability to strike an agreement with Putin, Macron warned that Europe must be prepared to strengthen sanctions if negotiations stall.
Zelensky told reporters the discussions included plans for Ukraine to acquire $90 billion in American weapons with European financing as part of its security framework, as well as a proposal for Ukraine to manufacture drones that the U.S. may help purchase. He cautioned that the agreement is still under negotiation but said details could be finalized within 10 days.
He also recounted a long exchange with Trump over a map in the Oval Office showing Russian-occupied territories, describing it as a “warm and meaningful conversation” even though no territorial redrawing was agreed upon.
European leaders coordinated Trump’s follow-up call to Putin to convey the outcomes of the White House meetings, Finnish President Alexander Stubb confirmed. Meanwhile, Zelensky reiterated his readiness to meet Putin in “any format” without conditions. “I believe unconditionally we should meet and think about the further development of this path to the end of the war,” he said. He indicated that Russia had suggested a bilateral meeting first, potentially followed by a trilateral session with Trump, but emphasized that waiting for preconditions would only invite counter-demands from Moscow.
Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also used the summit to highlight the plight of children abducted during the war. Trump called the problem of missing children a “worldwide” crisis and praised First Lady Melania Trump’s advocacy on the issue.
Von der Leyen responded by stressing that every Ukrainian child taken by Russia must be reunited with their families. Zelensky added a personal note by delivering a letter from his wife to the U.S. first lady, thanking her for her earlier appeal to Putin.
